Inventory Time!

I'm sitting in the store this afternoon looking at my little Scrap-To-It! Christmas tree (image pending) and reading all the 'year-end-blow-out sale' e-mail from all the vendor and retailer lists I'm on and realizing it is that time of year again.

Oh what to do.....?????

We need to have more sales and move out some product and thin out what needs to be counted before tax time.

Everybody loves sales, but there sure is a technique to it to move out the ending seasonal items so that next year you can collect what is current and not have old stuff sticking around. Scrappers are picky about the perceived 'old lines.'

This year I had some awesome holiday papers in the store. I'm hoping they will still be awesome when I put them up for 'Inventory Blow Out.' I have some awesome chipboard word books too. So if these are items you are looking for, be sure to watch the website and the newsletter for the sales and promotions on these products.

If you are looking for something else ----ummmmmmmmmm e-mail me to see if I'm in a bartering mode..ya never know!!

Besides all the inventory sale e-mail I've already (since before Christmas even) been receiving all the new Valentine release e-mail. I'm totally in love with some of the new lines and can't wait to get my orders placed. I wish I had room for more lines than I do. I love paper (of course, thats why I'm a scrapper!) But here are some questions I want to throw out to all of you (and please feel free to e-mail me your answers. I'd love to send some thank you gifts for the responses -- hint hint).

1. If there is a manufacturer you like, do you want ALL the papers in that line? Or would you pick and choose patterns that you are attracted to?

2. Do you want all the embellies and fibers and do-dah's that compliment the line?

3. How often do you by-pass the coordinating elements?

4. What about the alphas that go with the paper? Do you buy them? What do you do with the extras? What do you do when you don't have enough of one particular letter?

5. Do you like to combine paper lines from different manufacturers and if so, what manufacteres are your favorite to combine (ones you know work best together)?

6. Do you like the paper pads or 6x6 or 8x8 stacks or would you rather just buy open stock/by the sheet?

E-mail me, or post your comments here. I really want to know what you like and what things go through your mind as you are looking for papers and embellishments for your layouts and paper projects.

Get ready for a big sale.....I want to move product this year!

Snowing On My Party!!!

Does it rain on your parade when the weather is bad? It does on mine...cuz I'm a bit of a baby when it comes to going out in the muck and the slush. Slipping and sliding to work never excited me. But I am always fascinated with the snow. In fact I've hated to let my kids go out and ruin the beauty of the clean white blanket covering the yard. Especially here in Missouri, where we back up to the woods. It is so beautiful and mystical that I can just sit and look out my window in awe! Eventually I give in though, bundle them up and send them out. Before long there's a good snowball fight (and a good photo op) happening!

Its not really raining on my parade, but it is snowing and slowing me down a bit and causing me to have to choose between closing for a snow day and playing with my kids, or....

You see, today is my birthday and I was planning on having a private sale at the store today. You know, one of those kind where I put a bunch of things up for sale or for FREE!!! and let shoppers draw from the bowl or spin for their sale.

Pausing to get the day going....will be back in a while with updates to the day and more details for the store!

Living the Dream - revisited

They don't tell you when they call it 'living the dream' that the inception period of this dream phase is very tiring. Many hours are spent trying to figure it all out. I don't want to re-invent the wheel, but some things for sure aren't working or scrapbook stores would not be closing all around me. The industry is in a flux and the economy is an issue too. These two factors are the reason my store has been set up the way it has. My plan, may be visually a bit different, but I think it will keep me in business longer. (Now let's hope my DH doesn't get wild ideas of looking for work out of the state....I had one of those scares last month...but it passed...phewwww!!!)

If you happen upon my store and are looking for a great big new place to come scrapbook, you may be a little disheartened. However, if you are looking for a place local to our community, where you can find better service (than the "A" store or the big boxes) you might enjoy coming in and plopping down on the floor and going through the buckets on the grid wall. (A lot of ladies seem to get in to this! And the guys who used to be in the office across the hall thought it was HILARIOUS!!!!)

We do plan to have some classes... eventually !!!...I have a couple crops planned for the new year. If you are looking for a place to crop where the kids won't interrupt or drop off the grans...give us a call or e-mail me at shop.scraptoit@yahoo.com.

Also, I been collecting some fun things for a card class that I'd like to start. If you are a card maker and would like to be put on the wait-list for the classes shoot me an e-mail with "card class wait list" in the subjust line.

Check out the website front page and here for more details. I'm determined this year to get more into my blogs.

For now...its time to close up shop and head home and check on some homework assignments I left with the kiddos.

Hope you are all warm and the lights are on and the holidays are trimming up nicely.

Till next time....

Joi -- AKA the 'to-it hunter' (always and forever trying to get around to it!)